Top Apple Executive Leaving Company After Making Crude Remarks About Women in Viral TikTok

The Apple logo at an Apple Store in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 23, 2020. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

An Apple spokesperson has confirmed that a top executive is departing the company following backlash over a viral TikTok video in which he made a vulgar comment about women.

A spokesperson told CNBC that the tech giant’s vice president of procurement, Tony Blevins, is leaving the company, stating simply that “Tony is leaving Apple.”

His departure was first reported by Bloomberg.

The 25-second video in question was filmed at a car show that Blevins attended in August in Pebble Beach, Calif., and posted to TikTok on Sept. 5. It has been viewed 1.4 million times since it was published, according to the TikTok page.

It shows Blevins sitting inside a $500,000 Mercedes when he is approached by TikTok and Instagram creator Daniel Mac, who is known for asking people in expensive or luxurious cars what they do for a living. Mac has previously interviewed President Joe Biden in a Cadillac Lyriq luxury electric vehicle.

When asked what he does for a living, Blevins responds: “I have rich cars, play golf, and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and holidays off.”

While the video does not specifically identify Blevins by name and he does not state that he works at Apple, Blevins can be clearly seen on camera accompanied by an unknown woman.

He also touts the fact that his job offers “a hell of a dental plan.”

Bloomberg reports that Blevins’ comment was a reference to a line from the 1981 movie Arthur, where the main character Arthur Bach describes his own career by stating: “I race cars, play tennis and fondle women, but I have weekends off and I am my own boss.”

‘Not Enough Women at the Table’

According to the publication, the video featuring Blevins drew criticism from Apple employees after it began spreading through the company, and an internal investigation was launched into the matter.

According to Bloomberg, some employees were especially angered by the video because other executives at the tech giant, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams, have been publically outspoken about the need for workforce diversity and the empowerment of women.

Just last week, Cook told the BBC that there are still “not enough women at the table” when it comes to women working in the tech industry.

As a result, Blevins, who has been with Apple for 22 years and is one of roughly 30 execs to report directly to Cook or Williams, was removed as the head of his team of over several hundred employees, according to the publication.

In his role as Apple’s vice president of procurement, Blevins worked with suppliers and Apple partners where he has developed a reputation for aggressively negotiating with suppliers to bring down costs, according to a 2020 Wall Street Journal profile of Blevins.

Apple’s social media policy reportedly states, “We want you to be yourself, but you should also be respectful in posts, tweets, and other online communications,” according to The Verge.

Blevins told Bloomberg that he was sorry for the comments he made in the video. “I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor,” he said.

The Epoch Times has contacted an Apple spokesperson for comment.